Car roof structure



Sept. 22, 1936. J. J. TATUM GAR ROOF STRUCTURE Original Filed Feb. 24, 1954 4 Patented Sept. 22, 193 6 UNITED STATES PATENT o ncE 712,833. 1935, Serial No. 32,051

Divided and this application July 18,

7 Claims. (Cl. 1085.4)

. This application is a division of my application Serial No. 712,833, filed February 24, 1934,

embodying improvements in the roof structures of box or house cars, and particularly to a car 6 roof structure designed for giving greater inside vertical height, or free inside height, to vertically increase the storage capacity of the car by providing a clear storage space inthe roof zone in free communication with the storage space in the car body. I

More particularly the invention relates to a mansard type of roof having sloping roof sheets and inclined extension or hip sheets joining the same with the side sheets, and the object of the invention is to provide simple, reliable and efficient means for joining the hip and side sheets in such manner as to furnish a strong and durable connection at the eaves and to support and stiffen the hip sheets so as to resist wearing and 20019118! stresses caused by the movements of the car.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts,

hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a transverse section through the roof of a car embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modification. 30 Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawing, l represents the upper portion of a car body of box or house type having side walls formed of the outer metal side sheets 2 and the lining 3 of any suitable material. Surmounting 35 the upper edges of these side sheets and the lining are Z-shaped eaves beams 4. These beams are disposed so that'their body portions are arranged in a horizontal plane and rest upon the upper edges of the lining 3, one of the flanges of the beam extending downwardly and overlapping the side sheet and being secured thereto by rivets or other suitable fastening means, as at 5. The other flanges of the beams project upwardly from the body portions of the beams substantially in thevertical planes of the side linings 3 to assist in supporting and to reinforce the roof 6, as hereinafter described.

The roof 6 is shown as being of maximum height at a central point or ridge 1 and formed of sheets 8 and 9 sloping at a suitable angle, transversely of the car, downwardly and outwardly toward the side sheets, said roof sheets 8 and 9 terminating at their outer edges in flanges ill bent downwardly at a sharp angle therefrom. The roof proper 6, which is of suitably less width than the width of the car, or the distance between the side walls or sheets, but which extends transversely the major portion of the distance between the roof center and side sheets, is supported at a proper elevation above the eaves 5 beams 4 so as to form a storage space or chamber ll located in the roof zone or above the level of said eaves beams. To this end, extension sheets or hip sheets 12 are provided at the sides of the roof, which are of relatively less 10 transverse extent than the roof sheets, and which may be sloped or pitched at a greater angle than the roof sheets, to form a supporting roof base, whereby the roof 6 is carried upon the side and end walls at such height as to provide a storage 15 space or chamber H of the desired depth. In Fig. l the sheets 12 are shown as provided at their upper edges with flanges l3 secured, as by rivets or other suitable fastening means M, to the flanges ID of the roof sheets, and as being pro- 29 vided at their lower edges with flanges l5 resting on and secured, as by rivets l8, to the body portions of the eaves beams 4. Between these flanges the hip sheet extends outwardly and downwardly in a curved line or arc of curvature 5 so that it lies adjacent its lower flanged edge on the outside of the vertical flange of the eaves beam, but bears thereon, by which construction each hip sheet is stably supported not only by the body portion of the eaves beam but by the 30 upstanding flange thereof acting as a support ing brace to reinforce it against inward deflection and as a stop to limit its flexing movements in an inward direction. The construction and arrangement of the eaves beams, and their mode of attachment to the side sheets and hip sheets is such, that simple and effective means is provided at the eaves for joining the side and hip sheets in such a manner as to malre the connection secure and to stiffen and reinforce the hip sheets to render them capable of stably supporting the roof and of standing the weaving and other stresses to which the car body is subjected when in motion. As the eaves beams also rest upon the inner linings 3, they serve as spacers and additionally support the hip sheets and roof from the linings.

By this construction a roof is provided which is elevated for the purpose of making the car as high as possible between the floor and ceiling without encroaching on the American Railway Association clearance lines, and in which the roof is stably supported by the extension or hip sheets i2 which properly restrict the width of the roof and at the same time are so sloped as to form with the sloping roof sheets a proper water shed for the purpose of carrying oiT all rain water or water from melting ice or snow without the necessity of employing special means for this purpose or protecting parts of the side roof structure against leakage or conditions causing rust. The storage space llthus afiorded in the roof zone and above the level of the side. sheets is in open communication with the storage space in the car body below and of suflicient cubic capacity to receive loading devices or racks of various kinds for supporting automobiles or other elevated lading in the upper portion of the car and which may be stored or used for supporting and storing lading arranged above the level of other lading carried in the car body below, thus increasing the cubic carrying capacity of the car and allowing the car to be loaded with freight to its full height. The chamber -'ll may be employed to receive automobile loading frames or racks which may be stored thereinwhen the car is not being used for the transportation of automobiles, thus allowing one and the same car to be employed for the transportation of automobiles as well as other kinds of freight.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing I have shown a modified form of my invention in which the construction of the parts is the same as that shown in Fig. 1, except that the hip sheets l2 instead of being arcuately curved between the roof flanges l0 and upstanding flanges of the beams 4, extend at a sharp angle of inclination and substantially on a straight line between said flanges. This form of the hip sheets may be employed if desired in place of that shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing description, the construction of my improved car roof will be readily understood, and it will be seen that by the described construction and arrangement of the eaves beams and coacting parts a roof giving increased storage space to the'car is provided, as well as one which will be stifiened and firmly supported by the eaves beams. Other advantages of the invention will be fully understood by those versed in the art without a further and extended description.

While the features of construction herein dis closed for purposes of exemplification are preferred, it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, construction, arrangement and proportions of parts within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ad-" flange and a downwardly extending flange, the latter fastened to the upper edge of the side sheet, and a hip sheet at each side of the roof fastened at its upper edge to the roof sheets and extending downwardly on the outer side of the upwardly extending flange of the eaves beam at the adjacent side of the body so as to lie in contact with and to be braced against inward deflection by said upstanding flange of the beam and fastened at its lower edge to the body portion of the beam.

2. In a car roof construction, the combination with side wall sheets, and a sheathing, of roof sheets having downturned flanges at their side edges, an angle metal eaves beam secured to each side sheet and bearing on the sheathing, said beam having an upstanding flange, and an ex-- the beam and resting thereagainst so as to be supported and braced thereby.

3. In a car roof construction, the combination with side wall sheets, and. a sheathing, of roof sheets, a Z-shaped eaves beam at each side of the car having its body portion resting on the sheathing and one of its flanges extending downwardly and secured to the side sheet and its other flange extending upwardly, and an extension or hip sheet extending between and secured to the roof sheet and body of the eaves beam, said sheet extending at its lower edge on the outer side of the upstanding flange of the beam and resting thereagainst so as to be supported and braced thereby.

4. In a car roof construction, the combination with side wall sheets, and a sheathing, of root sheets, an angle metal eaves beam secured to each side sheet and bearing on the sheathing, said beam having an upstanding flange, roof sheets, and an extension or hip sheet extending on a curved line between and secured to the roof sheet and eaves beam at each side of the car, said sheet extending at its lower edge on the outer side of the upstanding flange of the beam and resting thereagainst so as to be supported and braced thereby.

5. In a car roof construction, the combination with a side wall sheet, and a sheathing, of a roof sheet having a downturned flange at its side edges, an angle metal eaves beam secured to the side sheet and bearing on the sheathing, said beam having an upstanding flange, and an extension or hip sheet extending on a continuously straight line between said flanges of the roof sheet and beam and secured to the flange of the roof. sheet and body of the eaves beam, said sheet extending at its lower edge on the outer side of the upstanding flange of the beam and resting thereagainst so as to be supported and braced thereby.

6. In a car roof construction, the combination with side wall sheets, and a sheathing, of roof sheets, a Z-shaped eaves beam at each side of the car having its body portion resting on the sheathing and one of its flanges extending downwardly and secured to the side sheet and its other flange extending upwardly, and an extension or hip sheet extending on a curved line between and secured sheet extending at its lower edge on the outer side of the upstanding flange of the beam and resting thereagainst so as to be supported and braced thereby. I

7. In a car roof construction, the combination with a side wall sheet, and a sheathing, of a roof sheet having a downbent flange at its side edge, a z-shaped eaves beam having its body portion resting on the sheathing and one of its flanges extending downwardly and secured to the side sheet and its other flange extending upwardly, and an extension or hip sheet extending on a continuously straight line between said flanges of the roof sheet and beam and secured to the flange of the roof sheet and body of the eaves beam, said sheet extending at its lower edge on the outer side of thereby' JOHN J 'I'ATUM I 

